Friday, September 22, 2006

Rishi Tea Powder

When I hear the words "tea powder" the first thing I think of is that wretched, vaguely tea-like stuff in a jar that was the only tea I was exposed to when I was growing up.

My first reaction, upon discovering that Rishi Tea is offering a "tea powder" was an almost instinctive skepticism. But I'd like to think that I'm a reasonably open-minded sort and so I'll try to reserve judgment until I have something to actually judge.

Rishi calls this product Premium Tealeaf Powder and they're offering it in three varieties. There's Genmai Green, Green Oolong and Sencha Green. They're packaged 12 packets to a box and, if you buy from the manufacturer, you can get a break on the price ($8 per box) by trying all three ($20).

According to an article in OnMilwaukee.com, the powder is "100 percent pure, traditional tealeaves, rendering it naturally free from artificial colors, additives, sweeteners and flavors" and it's made by "a cold mill process -- an ancient tradition that uses large granite stones to grind the leaves into a powder -- to retain the tea's flavor and aroma in the powder."